Morgantown, West Virginia – Tonight, Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals kicks off with the Milwaukee Bucks visiting Jevon Carter’s Phoenix Suns at 9:00PM.
Carter becomes the first former Mountaineer to play in the NBA Finals since Jerome Anderson did so during the 1975-1976 season. That’s 45 years ago! Anderson’s Boston Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns in the 1976 NBA Finals, making Anderson the last former West Virginia player to win an NBA Championship.
The only other Mountaineer players to make it to an NBA Final were Jerry West, Hot Rod Hundley and Fritz Williams.
This is the first time that the Phoenix Suns have won the western conference finals and will compete in the NBA Finals since 1993.
Carter was a key reserve off the bench for the Suns throughout the regular season, averaging 4.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in the regular season, but has played only very limited minutes during the Suns’ playoff run.
However, Carter now has the opportunity to win an NBA Championship ring in only his third professional season and he will have 1.8 million people cheering him on the whole way!
Game One of the 2021 NBA Finals begins tonight at 9:00PM eastern and will be shown on ABC and ESPN2.
On December 6, 2020 @tresatudrick asked Jevon Carter what the realistic expectations were for the Suns. He smiled and responded with two words…
"Realistically…Champions."
Seven months later, the Suns are 4 wins away from their first NBA Championship. #RallyTheValley pic.twitter.com/kjALh4ofAw
— Ryan Bafaloukos (@RyanBafo) July 6, 2021
